It didn't take long before sin ruined paradise. Satan deceived Eve and Adam followed suit in disobeying the one command from God not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. With that, Satan lawfully became the rightful owner of the world. He used the system that God set up to take dominion and authority from Adam. God being just and true to the system He ordained didn't take it back simply because mankind had failed.
Now, I must point that God was completely merciful to Adam and Eve. First, because even thought they knew right away the difference between good and evil, they never fully understood the gravity of their mistake. God could have given them full revelation of what the world would become because of sin, but He didn't. They knew they were naked, but they didn't know the pain and suffering that exists today because God was merciful and loving toward them, protecting them from fully understanding the consequences of their sin.
Secondly, even as He announced their punishment, he promised them Jesus. "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" ( Genesis 3:15 ). In order words, God told them the redemption plan was already in place. Jesus was chosen before sin entered into the picture to crush the head of Satan. Eve must have breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the plan was already in place to regain full control and dominion of the earth and to reconcile mankind back to God. What a marvelous loving God who promised that redemption through their offspring.
As His most important act of mercy on Adam and Eve, he banished them from the Garden of Eden. Not because He was angry and wanted to remove them from His sight like we have always been taught, because they still fellowshipped with God after this. But if they stayed, they could eat of the tree of life and live forever in the condition of fallen man. Think about all the suffering and disease we have today, what if we couldn't die? What if a person with cancer had to live forever in that condition, imagine how horrible that would be. So in an act of mercy the Lord banished them from the garden. "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life" ( Genesis 3:21-24 ). He banished them from the Garden so that He could send Jesus to restore mankind back to the sinless condition we were in before the fall. Now that this has been done, when we get to heaven God will once again invite us to partake from the tree of life and live forever in our perfect redeemed condition ( Revelation 22:14 ). How amazing and gracious is that!
Tomorrow we look at Part 3: Full Authority and Dominion Was Won Back By Jesus at Calvary
